By Ken Chiwendu
The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Ireti Kingibe, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to review and suspend the movement restriction imposed ahead of the FCT Local Government elections.
In preparation of the elections, the Minister declared Friday a work-free day and announced a restriction of movement from 8 pm on Friday to 6 pm on Saturday .
In a statement signed by her Special Assistant on Media, Matilda Duncan, Senator Kingibe condemned what she described as the unilateral imposition of a curfew, characterising the minister’s action as “authoritarian, ill-considered, and unacceptable in a democratic society.”
She stated that the decision to impose a curfew across the Federal Capital Territory, without broad consultation with critical stakeholders, is a direct affront to democratic governance and the constitutional rights of residents.
“The people of the FCT are not subjects under a dictatorship. They are citizens of a democratic republic. Any sweeping restriction on their movement and livelihoods must be justified by compelling evidence, subjected to scrutiny, and carried out with transparency,” she said.
Kingibe said though maintaining law and order was important, security concerns cannot serve as a blanket justification for “executive overreach”.
She emphasized that the curfew, as announced, risks inflicting severe economic hardship on small businesses, workers, and families who rely on daily income for survival, as well as international visitors.
According to her, “ECOWAS Parliamentarians will be arriving for a planned 10-day extraordinary meeting starting on Sunday, Set Weddings and receptions, Planned Functions, Marked Events and Embassies.
“Curfews are only warranted when there are SERIOUS security breaches, and there are NONE. This is only just Area Council (LG) Elections.
“Decisions of this magnitude cannot be taken without cause, consultation with stakeholders, and due process.
“The Minister should please remember that he is not the first to administer this territory and this is not the first election taking place here,” she said.
Kingibe, therefore, called on the Minister to immediately review and suspend the curfew.
“The rights, freedoms, and economic well-being of the people of the FCT must never be compromised by arbitrary, authoritarian and draconian executive action.”
